Side bearing for car trucks



March 20, 1951 o. T. GREGG 2,545,029

- sma- BEARING FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed March 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1\IHHHII I- HH II I fi H 2 llllll I nllllm Him. JH HIII HII In HIHIIIHIHH IN VEN TOR. 0775' Z' GREGG W WW Y MATTUEZVE'K? March 20, 1951 o. T.GREGG 7 SIDE BEARING FOR CAR TRUCKS Filed March 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2Patented Mar. 20, 1951 SIDE BEARING FOR CAR TRUCKS Otis T. Gregg,Hackensack, N. J assignor to The Gregg Company, Ltd., New York, N. Y., acorporation of New York, and to Gregg Car Company,Ltd., Panama, R. P., acorporation of Panama Application March 5, 1946, Serial No. 652,146

9 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in antifriction types of sidebearings for railroad cars.

A railroad car of the conventional type has a long rectangularunderframe or platform which rests on two trucks, one being situatednear each end of the car. The platform is carried on the trucks by meansof center bearings situated on laterally extending truck bolsters.

To keep the underframe balanced so that it will not tilt substantially,side bearings including bearing elements on the truck bolsters and onthe underframe are placed some distance apart laterally of the truckbolsters, with approximately one-eight inch clearance between thebearing elements. Tilting of the car body relatively to 2 ward motionexceeds the slight clearance between the bearing elements, the rollerwill bind between the supporting member and the car frame bearingelement during turning movements of the car truck and resist turning ofthe truck.

Moreover, the car trucks, during normal operation, are subjected tocontinuous vibration from the rail joints and because of otherirregularities in the track. As a result, the rollers of the bearingsare subjected to vibration which may be of the same fundamentalfrequency as, or a harthe truck bolsters is limited by the clearancebetween the side bearing elements.

When the railroad cars travel on curves, the trucks must turn to suitthe curves of the track. This turning motion is permitted by the centerbearing. bearing elements which may or may not be in contact, move withrespect to each other. If they are in contact, then such relative motionresults in friction. To reduce the friction, railroad cars sometimes areequipped with roller side bearings.

The roller type of side bearing often consists of a solid cylindricalroller that is usually supported on the bolster and is arranged to rolla limited distance in a direction parallel to the rails. The rollerusually is supported on a plate having a slightly concave surface sothat the roller normally has a tendency to return to its center positionwhen the roller is out of engagement with the bearing element on theunderframe. However, the roller must be moved a substantial distancefrom its center position before there is any substantial tendency for itto return to its center position.

Since most curves on railway tracks are very slight, it follows thatunder most conditions only a slight movement of the roller out of itscenter position will take place and corespondingly there is only a veryslight tendency for it to return to its center position when it isdisengaged from the side bearin element carried by the car underframe.As a result, the roller may be already displaced from its centerposition when it engages the underframe bearing element and will beunable to travel longitudinally a sufficient extra distance to permitfree turning of the car truck when curves are being negotiated.

Another disadvantage of the use of a concave support for the roller isthat it causes the roller When such turning occurs, the side to riseupwardly as it moves from a center position toward the ends of thesupport. 7 If this upmonic of the natural frequency of, the roller andthe roller may be set into motion in the bearing box, rolling back andforth at the frequency set up by the vibration. Therefore, when the carrounds a curve, the roller may become engaged with the upper bearingelement on the car underframe when the roller is near the end of itslimited path of travel. The roller then exerts a drag, with the resultthat turning of the truck is hindered and a flat may be Worn on theroller. If this occurs frequently, the roller will be so distorted thatit will not roll smoothly even when it engages the upper bearing elementwhile in its center position, thereby resisting the turning movement ofthe car truck relatively to the car underframe.

An object of the present invention is to provide roller or anti-frictiontype side bearings which are capable of rolling or rocking movementwithout rising and which are self-centering.

Another object of the invention is to provide anti-friction sidebearings that are self-centering and which can be used with a flatsupporting element to avoid change in the clearance between the bearingelements.

A further object of the invention is to provide a side bearing of theanti-friction or rocking type that permits additional turning of the cartruck relatively to the car frame without damage to the bearing evenwhen the turning exceeds the amount afiorded by the limited travel ofthe roller or rocker.

Another object of the invention is to provide a side bearingconstruction for car trucks in which the bearing member is notresponsive to vibrations set up during the operation of the truck sothat it will always tend to remain in its center position ready topermit relatively frictionless turning of the truck relative to the carbody.

Another object of the invention is to provide a vibration dampingmechanism and centering means for side bearings of car trucks and toprovide a bearing of novel form which is self-centering.

Other objects and advantages of the invention of the rocker.

3 will become apparent from the following description of typical formsof side bearings embodying the present invention.

The objects of the invention are attained by the provision of a noveltype of self-centering roller or rocker Whichcan be supported by a flatplate so that the roller or rocker does not rise as it rolls.

More particularly, side bearings of the type embodying the presentinvention'may 'be'provided with rollers or rockers that are providedwith relatively movable stabilizing means, ;such as a weight or weightswhich are arranged so that when the rocker or roller rocks, its upwardlymoving portion lifts the weight or a portion of it and itsdownwardly-moving-portion is relieved of the weight. Thus, the roller orrocker is rendered unbalanced and tends to return to'its initialposition.

More particularly, the'rocker of the side bearingmay be providedwithione or more eccentric portions that engage or carry a relativelmovable weight or weights which are also supported by the bearing plateor box on the car truck bolster. The eccentric portion or portions arenormally disposed in such a position that upward movement thereof liftsa weight and downward movement of the eccentric portion substantiallydisengages it from a weight. In this way, even a slight rocking movementOf the rocker unbalances it and tends to return it to its centerposition.

A preferred form of :the device is a rocker provided withoutwardlyextending arms having flat surfaces tangent to the surface of the rockerso that if the turning movement of the truck is greater than wouldnormally be afforded by the rolling motion of the rocker, the truck canturn farther by relative sliding movement between fiat surfaces on therocker and the .car body. Inasmuch as the fiat surfaces areofsubstantial area, the friction between the contacting surfacesis notexcessive and the turning movement of the car truck is not substantiallyhindered.

The stabilizing means,'being relatively movable with respect to therocker, also absorbs vibrations set up in it and thereby acts as avibration damper to prevent rocking Of the rocker in response to suchvibrations. During harmonic motion of the rocker, the stabilizing meansis alternately lifted and restored to its support. Also, the relativemovement of the stabilizing :means and the eccentric portion of therocker introduces considerable friction. This relative movement andfriction act to absorb the vibration and change the .fundamentalfrequency'of the rocker repeatedly and thus damp the harmonic motionThis damping effect is present whether the rocker is moved substantiallyor only very slightly from its center position.

For a better understanding of the present invention, reference may behad to the accompanying drawings inlwhich:

Figure l is a plan view of a typical bearing member embodying theinvention;

Figure 2 is a view in section taken online 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of a modified form of rocker embodying thepresent invention;

Figure 4 is a side view of a modified form of bearing member embodyingthe invention with the bearing box shown in section;

Figure 5 is a plan .view of the bearing shown in Figure 4; and

Figures :6 and 7 are side'views of other forms upper surface-of acartruck bolster, or formed as a ;part thereof. The bottom of the bearingbox it} may be :provided with a hardened steel supporting orbearingplate H which is substan tially flat from end to end and from edge toedge.

A rocker member l2 of cylindrical shape is rockably :mounted in thebearing box and is adapted to engage a bearing plate It on theundersurface :ofqa ,cross member on the car under- .frame, not shown.,NQrmaIlya-clearance of about one-eighth'of an inch, more or less, isprovided between the member ;|2 and the plate is.

The rocker member 12 is designed to be .constantly centered whereby itis always in position to afford relatively frictionless turnin of thebolster relative to the car underframe. The rocker member 12 'mayihavearadius of about two and one-half inches although the length of theradius and the .shapeof the rocker member can be varied, depending uponrequirements.

As illustrated, the rockermember I2 has a pair of diametrically spacedpinsl i and i5 eccentric to the axis ,of the rockermember and projectingfrom one .of its ends which are adapted to engage an elongatedstabilizing member it in the form of a'bar of steel, iron orxthe like.The ends of the stabilizing member l6 rest upon the pins i? and 1-8 thatextend inwardly from a side of the bearing box Hi. It will be understoodthat the above-describedarrangement can be duplicated at the oppositeend of therocker member l2 or that al-singlebar havingan opening in itsmid-portion for receiving the rocker member 12 can be used insteadof't'he bar f6. Also the pinsil' tand I 5may be connected bymeans .ofaweb forming, ineffect, a continuous platform for supporting the bar H3.

The action :of theiabove-described bearing con struction is1as .follows.

When the rocker member t2 rolls from the pcsitiontshown in Figure 1,forexample, toward the right, the .pin. 44 moves clockwise and upwardlywhile thepin 1.5 moves downwardly. The pin. in moving upwardly lifts theleft-hand end of thebar :l 6 and the banpivots around the pin 18. Thepin 14 is .subjected to a part of the weight of the bar It, and inasmuchas the pin M is eccentric to the rockermember |2,"it is renderedunbalanced and willtend to rock to'the left thereby returning to itscenter position.

Rocking or rolling I movement of the rocker member l2 to the leftproduces the same effect, but in this case, the pin ['5 lifts the bar 18which pivots about the pin 11. Therefore, 'movement of the rocker memberl2 in eitherdirection'is opposed by the stabilizing member 16, and moststrongly when the displacement ofthe rocker member is slight, therebyassuring the centering of the rocker member #2 under all operatingconditions.

The stabilizing means described above and'the stabilizing meansdescribed hereinafter also act effectively as vibration dampers. It willbe clear that as the bar-l6, for example, is raised and lowered, itchanges the effective mass of the rocker member l2 and also introducessome frictional resistance to movement of the rocker member. Thevibrations thus are absorbed frictionally and by the work done inlifting the bar it. Also the fundamental frequency of the rocker memberis changed by the change in its effective mass and the rocker member isrendered less responsive to vibrations at a fixed frequency and itsharmonics.

Figure 3 of the drawings discloses another form of rocker member andstabilizing and vibration damping means. The cylindrical rocker member20 is provided with diametrically spaced arms 2! and 22 which areprovided with the transverse holes 23 and 24. Loosely mounted in theholes 23 and 24, respectively, are the rivet-like pins 25 and 26 whichare of such length that their lower ends substantially engage thesupporting plate 21 when their heads 25a and 26a are in engagement withthe upper surfaces of the arms 2| and 22.

The rocker member disclosed in Figure 3 cperates similarly to the rockermember l2, in that when the rocker member 2 rolls toward the right,

the pin is lifted while the arm 22 is relieved of the weight of the pin26. The weight of the pin 25, therefore, acts to restore the rockermember 26 to its center position. Similarly, the pin 28 acts to restorethe rocker member to its center position when it moves toward the left.

The rocker member of the side bearing does not have to be cylindricaland in the preferred forms of the invention, the rocker members areprovided with semi-cylindrical mid-portions, and fiat surfaced armstangent to the semi-cylindrical portions.

As shown in Figures 4 and 5 one form of the preferred type of rockermember 30 may have a semi-cylindrical mid-portion 3| (semi-cylindricalupper and lower surfaces) and laterally projecting arms 32 and 33 whichare provided with the outwardly converging flat surfaces 34, 35, 36 and31. These surfaces are tangent to the surface of the mid-portion 3| andmay be inclined at an angle to the horizontal sufficient to permit therocker member 30 to rock through an angle large enough to accommodatethe normal turning movements of the car trucks. However, if,

under unusual conditions, a greater turning of the truck is required,sliding movement can take place between the surfaces 34 or 36 and thehearing element on the underframe on the car, in which case, thefriction is not excessive because of the large surface areas then incontact.

Inasmuch as the rocker member 30 is supported on its semi-cylindricalmid-portion 3|, it would under certain conditions of proportioning havea tendency to tilt and fall over so that one of its surfaces or 31 wouldrest against the supporting member 38. In order to overcome thistendency and also to damp vibrations which would tend to set the rockermember into rocking movement, and also to return it to its normal centerposition, a generally U-shaped stabilizing member 39 is mounted in anopening that extends lengthwise of the rocker member 30 and through itsundersurfaces 35 and 31. The ends 39a and 39b of the member 39 arenormally substantially in engagement with the supporting member 38 whenthe mid-portion 390 of the member 39 is in engagement with a flat innersurface 4| forming the bottom of the opening 40. The opening 40 isshaped so that the stabilizing member 39 can be completely inserted intothe opening 40.

The member 39 is of such weight that it will tend to retain the rockermember 30 in its center position. When the rocker member 30 tends torock in one direction or the other, it lifts one end of the stabilizingmember 39 and is relieved of the weight of the other end of the member39. The stabilizing member 39, also, being movable relatively to therocker member 39 will absorb vibration in the manner described above.

The above-described rocker member 30 may be provided with means forpreventing it from sliding along the supporting member 38, if desired.Thus, for example, as shown in Figures 4 and 5, the rocker member 30 isprovided at opposite sides with laterally projecting lugs 42, each ofwhich is situated at or near the bottom of the rocker member 3 and at ornear its center. The lugs 42; 42 are received in channels 43 and 44 inopposite sides of the bearing box 45 and thus prevent substantialendwise sliding movement of the rocker member 30.

The rocker member 30 and its stabilizing means can be modifiedconsiderably, as illustrated in Figures fi and 7 of the drawings. InFigure 6 the rocker member 59, which is of a shape similar to the rockermember 30, described above, is provided at its opposite ends withsubstantially vertical apertures 5| and 52 in which are mounted looselythe rivet-like weights 53 and 54. These weights are slidable relativelyto the rocker member 59 and act in the same way as the weights 25 and 25disclosed in Figure 3. Y

The stabilizing means for the rocker member is susceptible to stillfurther modifications and may be arranged as shown in Figure '7. In thisform of the invention, the rocker member 6|] has contours like therocker members 3 and and includes the arms 6| and 62. The arms have thegrooves 33 and 64 therein which extend substantially vertically alongthe lateral surfaces of the arms and horizontally across the tops of thearms. U-shaped weights 65 and 66 are mounted loosely in and aresubstantially complemental to the grooves 63 and 64. The ends of theweights and 66 are substantially in engagement with the supportingmember 61 when the weights are both suspended from the arms 6| and 62 ofthe rocker member 65. The U-shaped weights, therefore, are supportedeccentrically of the axis of the rocker member and act like thestabilizing members described above in returning the rocker member an toits center position and in damping vibration of the rocker member 60.

Each of the rocker members 50 and 60 may be provided with lugs like thelugs 42 of the rocker member 30.

From the preceding description of a typica form of side bearingembodying the present invention, it will be apparent that I haveprovided anti-friction bearings that facilitate the turning movements ofcar trucks and avoid the difficulties encountered with plain or rollerbearings of the type used heretofore.

It will be understood that the side bearings embodying the presentinvention are susceptible to considerable further modification of theirsize, shape and other structural details without departing from theinvention. Therefore, the form of the invention described above shouldbe considered as illustrative and not as limiting the scope of thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. A side bearing for railroad cars comprising a rocker member havingsemicylindrical upper and lower surfaces, means supporting said rocker.memberzfor Iockingimovement, stabilizing means having'weight portionsi'onopposite sides of the axisoi said trock'er -member, andsubstantially diametrically spaced elements .:on said rocker membereccentric to'the axis oflsaid rocker memher for lifting one ofsaidweight portions upon rocking movement of said rocker member from aninitial-position, :whereby theliited weight portion urges-said rockermember toward said initial position.

2. A 's'ide bearing for raiiroad o rs, coup-rising arocker member havingsemicy drical and lowersurlEa-ces, means supporting said rocker memberon its lower semicylindri'ca'l surface iior rocking movement in oppositedirections from an initial position, weight means having portionson-opposite sides *of the axis of said rockermember,'-substantiallydiametrically spaced means on said rocker memberengaging said weight means for lifting one of said portions upon rockingmovement of said rocker member from said initial position; whereby theweight of said lifted portion urges said rocker member toward saidinitial position.

3. A side'bearing for railroad cars, comprising a rocker member havingsemieylindricai upperzand lower surfaces, arms projecting outwardly-rromopposite sides or" said rccser member, and weight meansshiftablerelatively to said rocker 'member and carried by said forstabilizingsaid rocker member.

4. A side bearing for railroad car trucks, comprisinga bearing boXadapted to be mounted on a car truck, arocker member in said box, rockermember having upper and lower semicylindrical portions, arm's projectingoutwardly from opposite sides or" said rocker member and having upperand lower outwardly converging flat sides tangent to said surfaceportions, and Weight means movably carried by said arms and :engageable.and disengageahle with said bearing box on opposite .sides of saidrocker member for stabilizing the latter and dampening its vibrations;

'5. Aside bearing for railroad cars comprising a bearing box adapted tobe mounted on a car truck, a rocker member in said said rocker memberhaving upper and lower semicylindrical surface portions, arms on andprojecting outwardly in opposite directions from said rocker .member,and weight means carried b said arms lindrical upper-sandflower;surfacesi rockablysup ported on the bottom of saiclibox and havinoutwardly iprojecting arms on :its opposite :sides, means forming,,,passages in :said arms substam tially perpendicular to said'arms,weightvmembers slidablyrmounted in :saidpassages, landcooperating "meanson said weight members and said arm for limiting downward movement ofsaid weight members.

7. A side bearing for railroad cars, comprising a rocker member vhavingsemicylindrical upper and lower surfaces, a substantially -U-shap'edweight member mounted within said rocker-membar and having a .midportionanti downwardly projecting arms at its opposite ends, and means Withinsaid rocker member "engaging :said midportion for suspending said'U-shaped member for movement relatively to said rocker member.

8. A side bearing for railroad cars-comprising a box-like member adaptedto be mounted on a car truck, a rocker member having upper and lowersemicylindrical surfaces and arms extending in opposite directionstherefrom, said rocker member being rockably mounted in said box'so thatone arm moves upwardly while the other moves downwardly, said rockermember having an aperture extending therethrough lengthwise of said armsand opening downwardly toward the bottom of said box-like member, aU-shaped weight member loosel mounted in said opening and having:downwardly extending ends engageable with the bottom of saidbox-likemember, said weight member being movable relatively to saidrocker member to allow rocking .-movement of the latter while exerting:a downward thrust on the upwardly moving arm and relievingthe oppositearm of downward thrust.

A side bearing for railroad cars comprising a rocker member havingsemi--cylindrica1 upper and lower surface portions and arms havingoutwardly converging flat surfaces on opposite sides of and tangent tosaid semi-"cylindrical portions, means supporting said rocker member forrocking movement on said semi-cylindrical portions, means on-oneof saidrocker members forcentering it on said supporting means, and weightmeans movably carried by said arms for stabilizing said rocker memberanddampeningits vibrations.

OTIS T. GREGG.

REFERENCES CITED The :following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STAT-ES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,360,781 OConnor N0v330, 19201,6409% Haseltine Aug.'23, 1927 1,660,444 Haseltine Feb.- 28, 19281,674,821 Geiger June "26, 1928 1,796,300 OConnor Mar. 17, 193i

